National Park Trust and Blue Star Families Announce New Partnership

WASHINGTON, DC – National Park Trust (NPT) and Blue Star Families are pleased to announce a new partnership designed to create family-friendly park events for military families across the United States in commemoration of Kids to Parks Day, held annually the third Saturday in May. This year, Kids to ParksDay will be May 19, 2018, coinciding with Armed Forces Day 2018.

Photo courtesy of Blue Star Families.

“We are thrilled to work with Blue Star Families to create family-friendly park experiences that feature STEM and history education as well as outdoor recreation activities,” said Grace Lee, executive director of National Park Trust. “Our wish is for military families to actively experience parks and the rich stories of our country that they preserve, and create lasting family memories.”

Kids to Parks Day is a nationwide day of celebration of local, state and national parks. NPT engages kids, families, teachers, and elected officials with their local public lands. NPT will provide $500 grants for 16 Blue Star Families events that emphasize the importance of connecting with the great outdoors. Last year, over a million families attended Kids to Parks Day events in all 50 states. NPT expects that number to increase in 2018. Over 200 towns and cities have already signed proclamations of support and have committed to hosting park events. NPT expects that number to grow to 500.

“Working with National Park Trust, Blue Star Families is creating special opportunities for military families to enjoy, learn, and connect with the outdoor treasures their service members protect every day,” said Suzi Guardia, Senior Advisor for Neighbor Engagement at Blue Star Families. “Parks are places where community is built, where families can lessen the stress of the military lifestyle, and where memories are made. We are so grateful to our Blue Star Neighbor for making these events possible.”

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Blue Star Families builds communities that support military families by connecting research and data to programs and solutions, including career development tools, local community events for families, and caregiver support. Since its inception in 2009, Blue Star Families has engaged tens of thousands of volunteers and served more than 1.5 million military family members. With Blue Star Families, military families can find answers to their challenges anywhere they are. For more information, visit bluestarfam.org.

For more information on National Park Trust, visit www.parktrust.org and follow National Park Trust on social media for updates on other projects (@NationalParkTrust). #KidstoParks

National Park Trust

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